President recognizes Mormons’ contributions to local society

Ma made the remarks while meeting with a Mormon delegation headed by Chung Kuo-chiang, leader of the Taiwan Mormon Church.

Over the past decades, Ma said, the Mormon Church has taken root in Taiwan because the sight of young Mormons spreading their faith — two young men, sporting crewcuts and wearing white shirts with black ties on bicycles — has become an important part of Taiwan’s urban landscape.

“Their clean image elicits good feelings,” Ma said, adding that he admires the Mormons’ pioneering efforts to “promote energy conservation by using bicycles as their main mode of transport.”

Noting that his administration has made energy conservation and carbon reduction part of its major policy goals, Ma said he hopes Mormons will uphold their tradition.

Ma said he has read about the development of the Mormon Church: “I was moved by church founder Joseph Smith striving to spread his faith despite opposition and persecution in the early days of the church development.”

Ma went on, religious freedom should be upheld as much of modern society holds religion in high regard.

For his part, Chung noted that the Mormon Church has become a worldwide presence, with branches in 162 countries and areas around the world, or totalling more than 13 million.

According to Chung, the Mormon Church attaches great importance to family values and joined forces with the Taipei city government in organizing a seminar last week on ways to promote family values. Many elementary school teachers took part in the event, he added.

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